Steroid Use On Rise Among British Soldiers

The military is filled with jobs that require above average physical strength. That is why a recent BBC report on rising steroid use in the British military services is not surprising.

According to the report, the number of soldiers who were caught using banned anabolic substances jumped to 100 in 2013 from a previous 20 in 2012. Steroids are not illegal in Britain to possess for personal use, however, the military strictly bans their use.

The BBC report also showed that military records showed that re creational drug use among soldiers stayed consistent and that steroids were the only drug category with a significant increase in use.

According to one anonymous soldier quoted in the piece, “There were a fair few lads who were always on steroids in the army. There were loads of them that do not get caught, and that is because they are careful about it. When they are on tour, if there is downtime, they go to the gym, and when they are in the gym there is the chance to get big, and come back off tour looking bigger and stronger.”

The anonymous soldier quoted in the BBC story lost his job after being caught using steroids he bought illegally from a clerk at a supplement store.

Like other physical jobs like police officer, bouncer or athlete, soldiers often look for a leg up for the demands of their job. Although the BBC report also quoted a University of Essex professor claiming steroids have little benefit for people from these professions, the number of people using them would point otherwise. Drugs that make you bigger, stronger and able to recover from physical activity faster will greatly benefit people in demanding professions that require strength.

Of coarse, steroids are riddled with unwanted side effects and it is important to always do them under the supervision of doctors.